Local Television Licence Award a Success

Mike Weatherley, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Hove and Portslade, is thrilled that the city’s local TV bid has been successful. Following a large combined lobbying campaign for one of the country’s first local television licences, Brighton & Hove has won one of the first licences that have been granted in the country.

Brighton & Hove entrepreneurs Bill Smith and Angi Mariani, who run popular local property and entertainment magazine Latest Homes, established Latest TV, a fast-growing internet TV channel with a central focus on local issues. News of the successful bid for a broadcast licence is a tremendous boost for Latest TV and, more generally, the digital economy in Brighton & Hove. For information on Latest TV, see their website here.

Ofcom, the communications regulator, has awarded the first licences to run local TV services in two areas of the UK, Brighton and Grimsby. The awards follow new legislation that will enable Ofcom to issue local TV licences, which are awarded for a period of up to 12 years. Latest TV was amongst 57 applications to run local TV services around the country. As well as being broadcast on Digital Terrestrial, local TV channels will probably be broadcast on satellite, cable and online. For more information on the bid, click here.

Commenting, Mike said: “This award is fantastic news. Latest TV will be a great opportunity for Brighton & Hove, so I am delighted that all the hard work to push our city as a pioneer of the new scheme has paid off. I have been a dedicated supporter of the bid since its inception and know that we’ll be a beacon for local broadcasting around the country. Well done Bill and everyone involved at Latest TV.”

To all those celebrating, we'd like to wish you a happy Chinese New Year. Here's to a great year - yesterday

The Federation of Brighton Pavilion and Hove & Portslade Conservatives represent the Conservative Party in the Brighton Pavilion and Hove & Portslade Constituencies, which stretch from the Pier to the Portslade/Fishersgate boundary and from the sea to the South Downs.